Castile and, generally speaking Spain, has always had serious problems to accept "the difference" and those who are "different". Castilian and Spanish society has difficulties of being who really are, and individuals pay more attention to fit in the group that develop their own talents.
Castilian society has a very low self image, and it makes individuals believe they are not enough good at being who really are and able to start the business that would develop their talents.
This belief that makes them not trust enough on themselves, it makes them neither not trust enough on the others, and this is one of the reasons why many Castilian and Spanish people despise other´s private enterprises.
This is one the reasons that makes Castilian and Spanish people so jealous and envious, and this is one of the reasons why Castilian and Spanish society is so paralysed. Everybody wants to be a civil servant. Everybody wants to have a regular salary. And this is one of the reasons why crisis has hit strongly in Spain. The reasons of success are always coming from inside, and it is a universal truth when it comes about individuals or societies.
"The God of Green Valleys" tells about this Castilian and Spanish concern. The violence that gifted and different individuals suffer in Castilian society is broadly described in the book.
It is truth that there was an official Transition to the Democracy in 1.978, but it seems that Castilian society hasn´t made a mental change to be open to the world and other realities; they should be open to be more enthusiastic in life and appreciate other´s work, other´s genious, and other´s different perspectives of life.
When one is in Castile and in Spain, one is aware that meeting an interesting people will not be possible, that one will not find this type of people that have reached higher levels of personal and spiritual growth and awareness; people that help to grow in life and discover new paths.
Energy is stagnant in Spain.
Out of Spain exists the myth that Spanish people are cheerful because they dance flamenco in the South of the country, but the reality of Castilian and Spanish people is so different. "You can´t do it" is the daily sentence in which Castilian collective consciousness and unconsciousness is based on. And this chronic pessimism and negativity are the obstacles to do new and different businesses, and, in addition, they used to make fun of excellent people that make a difference.
And, finally, the problem that Castilian and Spanish society has to accept within excellent people and be narrow-minded is also spread among doctors, lawyers, judges, or politicians.
In the context of the novel, SPIRITUALITY is:
1.- The connection that every human being has with their own inner voice, life and experience; of one´s inner self.
2.- The possibility that individuals have to develop their talents in a natural way, without interferences in a safe environment.
3.- The spirituality in Castile and Spain has been stolen by the Castilian and Spanish Catholic dogmas, which are very far from consciousness and spirituality of human beings.
Spirituality in the context of the novel is the possibility to "flow" according Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi´s the "Psychology of Optimal Experience".
Flow also called "Optimal experience" is a concept developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; "the holistic experience that people feel when they act with total involvement"; "the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.” "A sense of that one’s skills are adequate to cope with the challenges at hand in a goal directed, rule bound action system that provides clear clues as to how one is performing. Concentration is so intense that there is no attention left over to think about anything irrelevant or to worry about problems. Self-consciousness disappears, and the sense of time becomes distorted. An activity that produces such experiences is so gratifying that people are willing to do it for its own sake, with little concern for what they will get out of it, even when it is difficult or dangerous."
WHAT HAPPENS IN CASTILE AND IN SPAIN, AND WHAT "THE GOD OF GREEN VALLEYS" TELLS IN RELATION TO IT?
Generally speaking, Castilian and Spanish culture rejects those activities in which, in a natural way, experiences could be lived in the present moment.
Acting, Music, Arts in general.
Actors are still considered like a "no serious" profession, and this is because Franco used to reject brutally this profession.
Castilian and Spanish society still believes that what is really serious is being a civil servant, to have a regular salary, or to work in an office or in a bank.
Castilian culture is a extremely externally-oriented culture and "kills" genuine talents of individuals.
Castilian culture understands that Victoria, the main character of "The God of Green Valleys", must work in a bank where is used as an slave instead of developping her own talents.
The lack of a safe environment where being able to develop her talents doesn´t allow her to live in the present moment, and, in some way, this brutal culture destroys her by making her fall ill.
Working in a bank to fit in Castilian values drives Victoria to a state of confusion.
The bank introduces the chaos in Victoria´s mind.
But, in the opposite, the experience of Victoria described in the 8 chapter (Third Part) after performing Blanche´s character at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York is an spiritual experience based on the possibility of living life in the present moment.
"When Victoria left the school and passed by the brick buildings of the Strasberg offices, she was floating on the air. Her legs were lighter. Thinner. The morning was sunny, a perfect day, the hugeness of the sun in the sky was like a hug.
This must be what the saints felt.
A vision of paradise.
Ecstasy.
She could not have been happier.
Everything had been given to her."
This is a feeling of transcendence that oneself has gone beyond their own limits.
Victoria feels fulfilled and loving; she feels so much love inside herself that this feeling drives her to love the Universe and, so, to be integrated into it.
Someone like Victoria is happy, healthy and strong, and a person like that does not need dangerous tranquilizers or psychiatrist drugs.
CASTILIAN PARALYSIS
In Castile, manual jobs or the fact of working with one´s hands is not socially appreciated.
And this is because there is still in the collective conscienciousness and unconscienciousness the remembrance of how "señoritos" in Franco period used to humilliate, hit, steal and kill working classes.
Castilian people still live trapped into wanting to imitate the life style of old "señoritos" still in public positions.
Jobs as bartenders don´t have any social consideration (and, if it is a woman, she can be really mistreated.)
There are no multidisciplinary jobs. Everybody has to be a doctor or a lawyer. And this approach is the obstacle to create a space for diversity and exchange.
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